LUCKNOW: Three weeks after a 40-year-old woman constable was brutally assaulted by unidentified miscreants on the Saryu Express, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force and Ayodhya Police, in a joint operation, gunned down the prime accused of the case and arrested two of his associates following an encounter in Ayodhya on Friday. Three cops, including the station officer of Purakalandar police station Ratan Sharma, were also injured in the exchange of fire.
While the deceased was identified as Anis Khan, the two arrested men were identified as Azad and Vishambhar Dayal Dubey. The duo suffered bullet injuries and are under treatment at a hospital in Ayodhya. While Anis and Azad hail from Haiderganj in Ayodhya, Dubey is a native of Sultanpur. The encounter between the police force and the accused took place at Chhitarva Para Kail Road under Purakalander police station area of Ayodhya.
Meanwhile, Special Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for the Ayodhya police team which cracked the case and identified the accused persons.
It may be recalled that a woman constable was found lying under a berth in a pool of blood with deep cuts on her face and other parts of the body and dishevelled clothes in the general compartment on board the Saryu Express running between Mankapur and Prayagraj on August 30.
Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel had rushed her to Shri Ram Hospital in Ayodhya from where she was referred to Lucknow Trauma Centre. However, after the medical examination, sexual assault of the police personnel was ruled out. An FIR was registered under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code in connection with the incident.
According to Ayodhya Superintendent of Police Raj Karan Nayyar, the police got a tip-off, following which a photograph was shown to the victim. The police started working out the case and identified the accused on the basis of the statement given by the injured constable who is convalescing at Lucknow Trauma Centre. Sources said the photograph shown to the victim was that of Anis Khan.
The SP said a police team had gone to arrest the accused on Friday morning when they opened fire. “The accused opened fire at the police party. In retaliation, the police also fired and Azad and Dubey got injured. Anis managed to escape. The police traced him to the Pura Kalandar locality. Anis opened fire at the police party when he was told to surrender. In retaliation, the police fired back and Anis Khan was killed,” the SP said.
As per police sources, the lady constable was travelling in the train and was sitting along with two sadhus in the general compartment on the day of the incident. She had kept her bag under her head on the berth and was sleeping. Believing her to be in slumber, the three accused started passing remarks on her and when she did not reply, they even indulged in eve teasing. As the lady cop resisted their attempt to assault her sexually, they got down in Ayodhya but only after attacking her with a blade inflicting deep wounds on her face, forehead and neck.
The Allahabad High Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the matter. It had passed an order saying: “…a letter petition has been presented by Sri Ram Kaushik, Advocate, espousing the cause of the prosecutrix (referred to as ‘X’) and giving the details of the gruesome incident and the injuries suffered by ‘X’. Apart from bringing certain facts on record, Sri Kaushik has also requested for taking suo motu cognizance in the matter of the gruesome gang rape of ‘X’,” it added.